The COVID-19 aftermath: a multidimensional study on hospitality managers' perceptions

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many constraints to several industries, including tourism and hospitality. Despite its resilience, the socio-economic implications arising from this sanitary crisis have exposed the vulnerabilities and prompted swift reactions from policymakers, stakeholders and managers. This exploratory study aims to determine which dimensions of the hospitality business were most affected by this pandemic and how they responded to this outbreak. Considering dimensions such as "Decision making" "Health Safety" “Operations” “Marketing & Sales”, "Human Resources" and "Customer Relationship Management", this study is supported by semi-structured interviews with hotel managers, putting forward an analysis based on the perceptions and realities of different hotel categories and operational contexts. Aiming to complement previous and ongoing research concerning the coping mechanisms hotel managers have had to implement when confronted with this unprecedented crisis, it succeeds in identifying key strategic areas and concerns, that are relevant for understanding the current situation, as well as preparing future emergencies and crisis affecting the hospitality business, paving the way for future research within this scope